Thinking back to yesterday when his mother and Li Qinqin went out and didn't come back until very late, and everyone else was acting strangely, what exactly happened?

Suddenly, the image of Lin Qingyan and his farewell in his dream that morning flashed before his eyes again. He subconsciously wondered if his mother and Li Qinqin's unusual behavior was related to Lin Qingyan.

After a while, Lu's mother and Li Qinqin returned with Grandma Lin.

Li Fang was relieved to see that everyone had arrived and could finally get a meal.

"Auntie, Qinqin, you've kept us waiting for so long! Now that you're back, I can finally have a meal."

"Second brother, look at how pitiful you sound, as if you'd starve to death if we never came back."

"I won't starve to death if you don't come back, but I'll be half-starved."

When Li Fang saw that Lu's mother and Li Qinqin had brought Grandma Lin back with them, he frowned and asked, "Lin Zhiqing came quite early today. Have they already eaten so early?"

But he didn't see Lin Qingyan at all.

He went up the mountain to gather firewood with Li Gang that morning and was unaware that Lin Qingyan had been taken away by the police.

Li Qinqin whispered the truth to him: "Don't tell your cousin, okay? Just say that Sister Qingyan is sick and asked us to take care of Grandma Lin."

"Oh, okay, I won't tell the truth." After all, he was better at lying through his teeth.

Inside the room, Lu Zhengting heard Lin Qingyan's voice and quickly lay down, his body still perfectly straight, as if he were standing at attention while lying down.

But one second, two seconds, three seconds... several minutes passed, and he still hadn't seen Lin Qingyan come into the room.

Outside, Grandma Lin was very restless while eating. She hadn't even taken a few bites of her rice before running around in the yard. Then she ran into the house and saw Lu Zhengting lying flat on the kang (a heated brick bed). She was about to tell Lu Zhengting that Lin Qingyan had been taken away, but when she thought of Lin Qingyan and Lu's mother's instructions, she swallowed her words.

As soon as Lu Zhengting saw her, he hurriedly asked, "Mother-in-law, where is Comrade Lin? Why isn't she coming in?"